A new research centre has opened at Bar-Ilan to tackle environmental challenges such as waste disposal, climate change, and pollution.
The centre recently received a NIS 6 million grant from Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection – funding that originates from compensation paid to the state following the devastating environmental disaster at Nahal Ashalim, one of the worst in Israel’s recent history.
The centre’s mission is to move beyond academic boundaries and influence real policy. Researchers are already collaborating on projects with stakeholders from across the spectrum – from government ministries to grassroots organizations in the Haredi and Arab sectors.
One of the centre’s main areas of focus will be environmental justice, particularly how environmental crises affect different population groups.
“Poor neighborhoods, Arab towns, and socially or geographically peripheral communities are usually the first to suffer,” says the Centre’s Director, Prof. Oren Perez.
“Pollution – whether from waste, air, or water – does not impact everyone equally. It disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. If we don’t create data-driven protection mechanisms, we’ll only deepen inequality. This isn’t just about ideology – it’s about our shared survival.”